The independent hotel alliance has officially launched its GHA Discovery programme, offering members upgrades, late check outs, free internet access and “local experiences”.

GHA has now published full details of the programme, which is free to join, and runs across a total of 12 brands and nearly 300 hotels.

There are three tiers to the scheme, with new members receiving Gold membership, rising to Platinum after completing ten nights, and Black after 30 nights.

Many of the membership benefits will be familiar to business travellers, such as free internet access, bottled water and daily newspapers, but GHA is also offering more than 1,000 local experiences designed by hotel employees which vary according to the destination and membership level. Examples range from learning to play traditional Bodu Beru drums in the Maldives, all the way up to helicopter tours over the LA skyline or backstage access to the Central Moscow’s Circus.

The 12 members of the Global Hotel Alliance are Anantara Hotels & Resorts, The Doyle Collection, First Hotels, Kempinski Hotels, The Leela Hotels, Palaces and Resorts, Marco Polo Hotels, Mirvac Hotels & Resorts, Omni Hotels & Resorts, Pan Pacific Hotels and Resorts, ParkroyaL Hotels & Resorts, Shaza Hotels and Tivoli Hotels & Resorts.

The alliance also partners with several airlines including British Airways, Emirates and Lufthansa, allowing guests to earn miles for their stays.